This invention relates to apparatus for applying surgical clips, especially hemostatic clips, to body tissue such as blood vessels. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus having a reduced number of movable parts and which is suitable for one-handed operation to apply a plurality of clips in succession.
Surgical clip appliers typically have a pair of laterally spaced, relatively movable jaws for receiving a clip to be applied to body tissue. When clips must be inserted singly within the jaws, repeated loading may be fatiguing to the surgeon. Consequently, it has been preferred to supply a plurality of clips with the clip applier. The provision of a supply of clips for repeated application by the apparatus has typically required complex clip storage and feed mechanisms, which can be bulky and obscure the surgeon's view of the jaws as they are placed in position to apply clips to body tissue. After the jaws receive a clip, the jaws are brought together to close the clip around the tissue. The most cumbersome and unreliable method for bringing the jaws together is the use of direct manual pressure. The surgeon's hand may limit the view of the clip application site and can make the application of a clip difficult in configned working areas of the body. In other methods, the jaws are cammed together by interaction with a shaft or sleeve, usually in association with actuators and complex linkages.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to improve and simplify surgical clip applying apparatus.
A more particular object of this invention is to provide surgical clip applying apparatus with a reduced number of relatively movable elements for advancing and closing surgical clips.
A further object of this invention is to provide a simplified structure for regulating the sequential delivery of clips to the clip closing jaws of the apparatus.